For the U.S. Senate: Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillbrand

It’s hard to remember the last time in which both of a state’s U.S. Senators were up for re-election in the same year. The staggered six-year terms in the Senate usually prevent that from happening. But Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to serve out the unexpired term of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and she will have to run for re-election again in 2012.

It’s also hard to remember when senators up for re-election enjoyed such dominating leads in their races. Indeed, most people don’t even know who their opponents are.

Both Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. Gillibrand have commanding leads in recent polls, even though one is a seasoned veteran and the other is practically a rookie and making her first run for the Senate in her own right.

Sen. Schumer, who has been in Congress for 30 years and in the Senate for 12, is one of the most powerful people in Congress at this point. And even in a body filled with high-powered, talented people, his intelligence and breadth of knowledge is awe-inspiring.

But he’s no aloof intellectual with his head in the clouds. As knowledgeable as he is about the international banking system and global technology trends, he’s just as familiar with the local issues that concern New Yorkers in every one of the state’s 62 counties.

On Staten Island he has been instrumental in getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to start the S89 route to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system in Bayonne, in securing desperately needed funding for Richmond University Medical Center and for cleaning up the toxin-laden former Sedutto’s Ice Cream property in Port Richmond, among other accomplishments. He is the first U.S. senator from New York to pay that kind of attention to Staten Island-specific issues and that has earned him the endorsement of Borough President James Molinaro, a Conservative.

“We endorse a friend, not just a friend of mine, but a friend of Staten Island,” Mr. Molinaro said. “He’s been there whenever the need required him to be. He deserves another six years.”

He added, “The man takes my call when I have a problem on Staten Island. It would do an injustice to the 500,000 people here [not to endorse him].”

Mr. Schumer’s principal opponent, upstate businessman Jay Townsend, has the Republican and Conservative endorsements, and is a credible candidate. But has been unable to raise the kind of money to make it a credible race. No matter, from where we stand. Sen. Schumer deserves re-election.

Sen. Gillibrand has not been around long enough to have the same impact, but she has demonstrated she is a hard worker, a quick study and determined to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. She’s a sensible centrist who is flexible enough to take positions on the issues based solely on the merits, rather than ideological or political consistency.

Her main opponent, Joseph DioGuardi, a former Republican congressman, has made opposing everything a Democrat would support the sole focus of his campaign. We understand that may be enough for some, but it’s not for us.

Sen. Gillibrand has earned the right to finish out this term and then run for re-election in two years. We urge voters to give her that chance on Tuesday.